Pet Stop Blog

How to Have Fun with your Pets While Staying Active

Exercising with your dog is a great way to keep you and your best friend healthy. If part of your exercise routine includes walking or running, consider taking your dog along with you. This will help keep your dog healthy and can be considered a time to bond and build your relationship. Remember to bring along water both for yourself and your dog though; they get tired and thirsty just like you.

Swimming

If you have access to a pool or lake, swimming can be great exercise for your dog and will help keep them cool on those hot days. While most dogs can swim, you should be slow to introduce your dog to the water to first make sure they are comfortable with this activity. Although you may find they’ll leap right in without a second thought!

The Dog Park

If you have a dog park nearby, this can be a great way to spend time with your dog and provide them with lots of space for running and playing. Giving your dog the opportunity to interact with other dogs can also help your dog to get used to seeing other animals.

In terms of training, dogs can benefit greatly by watching and learning how other dogs behave and interact with their owners and one another. Wide open spaces like the park also serve as excellent places for games of fetch.

Teach Your Dog an Old Trick

While playing fetch may be an old trick, this can be a great activity for you and your pet to enjoy. This activity works better with larger breeds as they are more likely to chase after things than smaller dogs, but you should still use an object that is relative to your dogs’ size.

While traditionally you may think to just throw a stick, you can also use a ball or Frisbee. You can also throw many objects at once. When first playing fetch with your dog, it will help them to learn if you actively engage and chase after them or run with them after the object for the first few times.

Your Dog Likes to Win

Playing a game like tug-of-war with your dog is a great way to get your dog moving, but there are a couple things to note. You should use an ideally sized rope for your dog; using a rope too large will prevent your dog from being able to get a good grip and they’ll become frustrated rather than enjoy the fun.

If you get the distinct impression your dog is using all their strength to get the rope from you, you’re probably right. Your dog will treat tug-of-war as a game they want to win so don’t be afraid to lose the match. Especially since using all your strength could be dangerous for your dog as you may accidentally injure their jaw, teeth, or their pride!

There are still many things you can do with your dog to stay healthy including dancing, hiking, agility training, yoga, soccer, or cycling. Experiment to learn which activities suit you and your dog the best.

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